The Food Network Kitchens peered long and hard into its crystal ball to come up with its annual list of the top trends that will define 2013 in food. Check out a few of their predictions here, then visit Food Network’s Dish for the rest of the list.

Artisans Step Onstage—Whether producing small-batch spirits, bespoke chocolates, or heirloom jams, a new, mostly Millennial generation of American food makers is stepping to the fore. These 21st century artisans are more likely to carry advanced degrees and a savvy marketing sense than to have done a long, grueling apprenticeship. By applying big-business savvy to small-scale food, these folks are building a movement to change the American food system from the inside out.

From Farmers’ Markets to Food Markets—From Grand Rapids to Miami, a wave of public markets is sweeping the land and injecting new life into cities. This trend is a natural extension of the wildly successful farmers’ market movement. The new public markets, built around local chefs and artisans as well as local ingredients, are bringing fun into the picture with a communal, eat-and-graze instead of shop-and-go approach—less organic broccoli, more BBQ sandwiches. Look for public markets, food truck parking lots and night markets to boom and public spaces for food to pop up in cities big and small.

Service Upgrade—First came the Sommelier; then, recently, the Certified Cicerone® (a beer sommelier); in 2012 we got the Certified Cheese Professional. What’s next, the Sausage Maker’s Guilds? Yes, we hope so! Today’s burgeoning craft food industries have created a need for knowledgeable purveyors who can compellingly represent their products. It signals a respect for the middleman and a return to professional service that we haven’t seen since, well, the Middle Ages.

See Food—In food today, images are everything. Whether in apps or on photo-sharing sites, pictures rather than reviews, articles or blogs are the driving inspiration behind recipe search and restaurant discovery (on Appetude and Foodspotting). What’s cool today is decided by committee, with likes and re-pins of food images the currencies of choice.

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